THOUSANDS INJURED EVERY YEAR

According to a study published in the journal Pediatrics, 98,415 children were treated in emergency rooms after falling through a window between 1990 and 2008. This averages to more than 5,000 injuries every year.

Of those visits, 28 percent required that the child remain hospitalized for an extended period of time.

The vast majority of these injuries involved toddlers under the age of four.

Each year, 15 to 20 children will die from injuries sustained after falling through a window.

PREVENTING WINDOW RELATED FALLS

Experts acknowledge that in the majority of instances in which children fell through windows, the child’s parents or guardians were observing appropriate supervision. However, Harborview’s Injury Prevention Research Center at the University of Washington in Seattle does provide the following safety tips in addition to normal child supervision.

In the majority of cases, children fell through a window screens. Experts warn that window screens are not meant to sustain the weight of a child and can be forced out of their settings when such weight is applied.

Parents and guardians should place window guards in their homes or premises if they have young children around, especially toddlers.

Windows should not be opened more than four inches.

Moving furniture away from windows can discourage children from climbing to reach open windows.

Never assume that a closed window is a child proof window. Children quickly develop the dexterity and strength necessary to open a window.